Hame-fastener.



PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

J. w. GONGE. HAME FASTENBR. APPLICATION TILED AUG.30, 1905.

. INVENTOH JO/ZIZ fif fliZC ATTO I WITNESSES.

0., WASHINGTON, p. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAM E-FASTEN ER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Application filed August 30, 1905. Serial No. 276,333.

To all ZU7L-077'u it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WIsDoM Gonon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kinderhook, in the county of Jackson and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Hame-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to hame-fasteners; and it consists, substantially, in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention has reference more especially to hame-fasteners of the lever type; and one of the principal objects thereof is to provide a contrivance of this kind of an embodiment to overcome numerous disadvantages and objections encountered in the use of many other contrivances hitherto devised with like ends in view.

A further object is to provide a -contrivance of the character referred to which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, besides being adaptable to hames of varying shapes and sizes, thoroughly effective and reliable in operation, and possessing the capacity for long and repeated service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantially such as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view of a hamefastener embodying my improvements, a portion of a horse-collar being shown therein, together with adjacent end portions of hames fitting thereon, by which to illustrate the application and operation of the parts constituting the contrivance. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved haine-fastener, the collar of Fig. 1 being omitted; and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated that in the form of my improvements herein shown I employ a hame-fastener comprising several essential cooperative elements, each being of special construction, as will hereinafter appear, and while I have herein represented my improvements in a certain preferred embodiment it will be understood that I do not limit myself thereto in precise details, since immaterial changes therein may be made coming within the scope of my invention.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating characters thereon, 1 represents a portion of an ordinary horse-collar, in connection with which are employed hames 2 of suitable form, the corresponding ends of the latter being provided with links 3 and 4, as shown, loosely suspended in eyes 5 and 6 on the hames.

Seated or located in the usual groove of the collar 1 and suitably disposed intermediate of the corresponding ends of said hames 2 is a yoke or frame 7 of special construction, the same being preferably of a single piece of suitable metal struck up or otherwise formed into the desired shape, said yoke having, preferably, (though not essentially,) a transversely-curved base 8, which is also struck or formed on a curve lengthwise or between the ends 9 9 thereof, thus to conform to the base of the groove in the said collar 1. Said yoke 7 is formed with parallel sides 10, separated from each other by a suitable space, and which are also curved at their edges in conformity with the lengthwise curve of the said base 8, the ends of said sides being open, as shown. The parallel sides 10 are provided at one end of the yoke 7 with duplicate parallel hooks 11 and at the other end thereof with other duplicate parallel hooks 12, while said sides are formed with a plurality of corresponding notches 13, leading from the edges thereof, and the entrances or throats 14, to which are contracted or reduced in width for a purpose presently to be explained. The sets of said corresponding notches 13 in the sides 10 of the yoke are for the reception of the inner end portion 15 of a loop 16, preferably of suitable stout spring-Wire or other material, and comprising substantially par-' allel side members or limbs 17, which are correspondingly cut out on opposite sides to form reduced portions 18, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) the terminal of one of said side members or limbs 17 being outturned at 19, thence reversed at 20, substantially in the form of a diagonally-disposed hook 21, while the terminal 22 of the other of said side members or limbs is also shaped to extend in a reverse diagonal direction and practically in contact with said diagonally-disposed hook 21, the two said terminals thereby uniting in forming a convenient means of attachment of the said loop 16 to the said link 3, carried by one of said hames 2. The said parallel hooks 12 are connected by a pin 23, on which is pivoted a hand-lever 24, the end of the longer arm 25 of which is formed with a slot 26, slightly enlarged or widened at its outer extremity, as shown, and the end of the shorter arm 27 of which is formed with a curved shoulder 28. As will be observed, the said parallel hooks 12 and the shorter arm 27 of said hand-lever are engaged within the outermost one of preferably duplicate eyes 29, formed in an angle-plate 30, and offset from each other, as shown, the outer end of the said plate being formed or provided with a hook 31, engaging with the hereinbefore-mentioned link 4, held in the eye 6 of the other one of the said hames 2. The organization of the parts just referred to is accomplished by passing the said eye 29 over the slotted free end. of the said longer arm 25 of the handlever 24 and forcing the eye on the said hooks 12 and shorter arm of the lever either by hand or by properly manipulating the longer arm of the lever inwardly or in the direction of the yoke 7, after which the end of said arm may be fastened by means of a spring or other catch 32 (see Fig. 3) therefor slipping into the slot 26 and engaging with a portion of one of the edges thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by causing the end portion 15 of the loop 16 to be engaged in one or another of the sets of notches 13 my improved hame-fastener may be adapted to sets of hames having varying widths of separation between them, and it will also be seen that by means of the handlever the fastenening may be rendered more or less tight, as may be desired. The said end portion 15 of the loop 16 is preferably constructed of a thickness or diameter in excess of the Width of the parallel throats 14 of the notches 13 in the sides 10 of the yoke, so that there will be no liability of disconnection of the loop from the yoke, it being mentioned that the insertion of said end portion 15 in either pair of said notches 13 is effected by first slipping one or the other of the reduced portions 18 of the side members or limbs 17 through the throats of said notches, after which the loop may be worked around by hand until the organization of the parts is rendered substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. l/Vhen the hand-lever is released from the position thereof shown in Fig. l and the longer arm thereof carried outwardly, the said shoulder 28 on the shorter arm of the lever assists in throwing or releasing the eye 27 from engagement with the said parallel hooks 12.

It is apparent that in some instances the pairs of hooks 11 and 12 may be directly connected with the links 3 and 4, respectively, in the eyes 2 of the hames, in which case the lips 33 of the hooks 11 may, if desired, be turned laterally to thus impart to the adjacent throat 14 greater clearance; but this is a minor feature of my invention, as' will be understood.

In addition to the function ascribed to the reduced portions 18 of the members or limbs 17 of the loop 16 it may be stated that said portions also tend to give increased resiliency to said members, as will be apparent.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hamefastener, comprising a yoke having at each end a hook, the sides of the yoke being spaced apart and provided with notches, a loop for attachment to a hame and engaging a notch, an eye for attachment to the other hame and engaging a hook of the yoke, a lever pivoted to said hook and having a long end received between the sides of the yoke and above the loop, and a short end for engaging beneath the eye when the lever is swung outwardly from the yoke, said long end being provided with a slot and one of the sides of the yoke being provided with a catch for engaging the slot whereby to retain the lever in place.

2. A hame-fastener comprising a yoke having at each end a hook, the sides of the yoke being spaced apart and provided with notches, a loop for attachment to the hame and. engaging one of the notches, said loop having spaced side members, and the yoke being received therebetween, an eye for attachment to the other hame and engaging a hook, and lever pivoted to the hook and having a long arm received between the sides of the yoke and closing the notches and a short end for engaging beneath the eye when the lever is swung outwardlyfrom the yoke.

3. A hame-fastener comprising a yoke having at each end a hook, the sides of the yoke being spaced apart and provided with notches, a loop for attachment to the hame and engaging one of the notches, said loop having spaced side members and the yoke being received therebetween, an eye for attachment to the other hame and engaging a hook, a lever pivoted to said hook and having a short end for engaging beneath the eye when thelever is swung outwardly from the yoke, and a long arm normally received between the sides of the yoke and closing the notches and means for retaining said long arm in its normal position.

4. A hame-fastener comprising a yoke provided with a hook and having its sides spaced apart and provided with notches, a loop hav ing spaced side members for attachment to a hame and engaging one of the notches, the yoke being received between the sides of the loop, an eye for attachment to the other hame and engaging a hook, and a lever pivoted to the hook and received between the sides of the yoke and closing the notches.

5. A hame-fastener comprising a yoke provided with a hook and having its sides spaced apart and provided with notches having contracted openings, a loop for attachment to a hame and having reduced portions whereby the hame may be introduced into the notches,

an eye for attachment to the other hame and engaging the hook, and a lever pivoted to the hook and received between the sides of the yoke above'the loop.

6. A hams-fastener comprising a yoke provided with a hook and having its sides spaced apart and provided With notches, a loop for attachment to the hame and engaging one of the notches, said loop having spaced side 10 members and the yoke being received therebetween, an eye for attachment to the heme and engaging a hook, a lever pivoted to the hook and received between the sides of the yoke closing the notches, and means for retaining said lever in its normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing" Witnesses.

JOHN WISDOM GONCE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. GoNoE, F. L. GoNoE. 

